Celtic’s youth side lost 2-1 in heart-breaking fashion to Ajax with the young hoops missing TWO penalties.
Joe Thomson gave the hoops a half-time lead but that was cancelled out by a header from Anwar el Ghazy early in the second half with the same player netting the decisive goal five minutes from time either side of missed penalties from Lewis Kidd and Liam Henderson.
Ajax had the edge in the early possession but despite being on the back foot the Celtic defence was rarely threatened with only some hopeful long balls to trouble hoops keeper Max Oberschmidt.
Midway through the first half Celtic almost took the lead when a back-heel from Denny Johnstone created an opening for Joe Thomson but after cutting inside a defender Ajax keeper Doelman Mous advanced from his line to smother the midfielders shot.
Ajax failed to take notice of that warning with Thomson giving Celtic the lead in the 27th minute with another great midfield strike.
Some trickery from Paul McMullan created space down the right with Thomson timing his front post run perfectly to connect with McMullan’s pass and slide a low shot past the Ajax keeper into the net at the far post.
Celtic looked capable of scoring every time they ventured towards the Ajax goal and could have doubled their lead in the 38th minute when McMullan, Henderson and Johnstone broke forward but McMullan delayed his pass left to Henderson with Mous comfortably holding the shot.
Two minutes from the break Celtic should have gone 2-0 up but Mous dived to his left to save a Lewis Kidd penalty after McMullan had been tripped in the box.
On the hour mark Ajax levelled the scores with Celtic reduced to ten men as Conor McManus received treatment before being replaced by Calvin Miller.
A simple cross from the Celtic right was met by Anwar el Ghazy who headed the ball low past Oberschmidt from ten yards out.
Celtic were far from dispirited with Thomson and McIlduff quickly linking up at the other end with the full-backs effort smothered by Mous with the rebound cleared for a corner.
With 15 minutes left to play Celtic were denied a second penalty when McMullan was chopped in the penalty box with the striker booked for protesting as the referee pointed for a bye-kick to the relief of the home side.
Five minutes from the end el Ghazy put Ajax ahead with the hoops misery completed when Henderson saw his penalty saved by Mous after McMullan was fouled by the Ajax keeper in the penalty box.
CELTIC: Oberschmidt; Kidd, O´Connell, Findlay, McIlduff; Lindsay, McManus, Henderson; Thomson, Johnstone, McMullan
SUBS: Hart, Boyd, Donnelly, Kelleher, McLaren, Miller, Wardrope
